


A Question of Morality

by tomefaired



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Amorality, Demise is a god, Demons, Gen, It can be a Zelda theory if you want, Moral Dilemmas, The Triforce, The origin of Demise and Malice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomefaired/pseuds/tomefaired
Summary: Hylia and Demise were deities once created as equals, and it was Demise who ultimately betrayed the Golden Goddesses who brought him into the world. But there is more to this story, history that has been lost to the ages, buried by the hands of both good and evil. It is your choice whether or not to believe it.
Relationships: Hylia & Demise (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A Question of Morality

“…And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world…”

▲

The Golden Goddesses- Din, Nayru and Farore- who created the land of Hyrule, are known to not understand much of mortal affairs, the whims and desires of the life forms over which they preside. They never intended to serve as ever-present guardians, for their amoral existence would throw the world into peril if they dared to interfere.

Yet, they created two beings to watch over the realms of light and dark, the ideals of order and chaos: Hylia, the Goddess of Order, and Demise, the God of Chaos. Hylia was meant to keep the world in balance, presiding over the beings in the world of light in all its splendor, but never allowing the living to aspire to the likes of gods. Demise was a manifestation of the free will inside the hearts of all living beings, watching over the proud race of demons in a realm of peaceful darkness below the cracks of the earth. Was it a mistake, for the Golden Goddesses to create these beings? “The Triforce alone is not enough,” suggested Farore, the Goddess of Courage, for Hylia and Demise would represent _morality_. If the golden three were to abdicate responsibility and leave it in the hands of a divine artifact- how would the living creations know of their purpose in this world?

Thus, Hylia and Demise were born, crafted from the will of their makers. The people of the light revered Hylia, the White Goddess, patroness of justice. In fact, the Golden Goddesses had assigned her alone to watch over the very artifact said to be without morality, in essence banishing any sense of impartiality from her role. The Triforce could not fall into the “wrong” hands. It was Hylia’s responsibility to decide exactly who was unworthy, even if she could not use it herself, being a goddess.

It was clear to Demise, as he languished in the realm of darkness, that he was not meant to be equal in his role to Hylia. Though his existence brought about free will in both realms, he could never pass into the light to come in contact with the beings there. Why should Hylia keep watch over an all-powerful artifact which she could not even use? Why were the Golden Goddesses so neglectful as to abandon their duties to the world they created? Why would they leave an amoral power in the protection of the goddess presiding over the world of light? Shadow and light, after all, are two sides of the same coin...

Demise would show his makers exactly what they deserved, for their foolishness, their hypocrisy, their apathy. He shed his divinity, remaking his image into a form terrifying to behold: obsidian scales on his arms, hair made of pure fire, eyes red with anger, his build enlarged and hardened to give him strength that would surely dwarf that of the White Goddess. No longer was he the God of Chaos and Free Will, made by the Golden Goddesses to enrich the spirits of living beings. He was Demise, the Demon King. He ruled over the dark realms beneath the earth, and soon, he would come to rule the world of light as well, seizing the Triforce and absorbing the power of the absent gods of old.

The demon race witnessed this transformation firsthand- some with awe and respect, others with horror and fear. “Together, we will seize the surface lands... and the divine power in the realm of light that has been unfairly denied to us,” Demise declared in a rousing speech before demonkind, hoping to draw as many to his cause willingly as he could. “The foolish Golden Goddesses have left that power in the hands of the goddess of ‘light’... but there can be no light, without darkness!”

Demise was an incredibly powerful speaker; many demons knew of the power that lay above them and wished for its benefits, even a taste of the blessings it offered. Cheers echoed through the deep caverns. The demons were ready for war.

“Yes... my kin, we will rise... The Triforce... will be MINE!”

But not all wished to follow Demise. Some enjoyed the peace and quiet offered by the darkness, fearing the power of the combined races of the surface, especially the incredible magic power dwelling within Hylia’s chosen people.

Demise knew not all would follow him, but he could not allow dissent among his tribe if he was to win this war. He was no longer the God of Free Will- why did he have to uphold a title he never asked for? And so he created a fluid substance of incredible power, known as Malice. All demons who came in contact with it would be willed to serve Demise, their bodies and those of their descendants being forever corrupted by the poison. He spread the Malice throughout the realm of darkness, turning all into mindless soldiers for the Demon King.

Only a few managed to escape to the surface, witnessing in horror as their loved ones changed into mindless monsters bent only on war. Some managed to resist the poison inside of them through strength and free will alone, escaping before there was any chance of losing themselves to Malice’s grip. Some such demons pretended to follow Demise for the time being, for they feared death if they dared to attempt escape.

And so follows the tale known to the races of the world of light, a tale which the humans have passed down through uncounted generations.

The lost history of the demon race is known only by those very few who managed to escape the grip of Malice. And incarnations of Demise’s hatred continue to return, their command over Malice ever stronger each time.

History is told by the victors. And the Golden Goddesses, in all their amorality, chose to condemn the demons to languish forever in the darkness of Malice.

One day, perhaps, we will be freed...

**Author's Note:**

> This is my theory/headcanon on the origins of Malice, as well as how Demise was created. I referenced the Evil Crystals in Skyward Sword, said to be made of "monster malice". I also used as basis the few "good" monsters seen in the series, such as Moe the Moblin from Wind Waker, and the Secret Moblins from the original game. Let me know if you'd like to see more "alternate history" oneshots!


End file.
